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As a thought leader who has published a book to share your ideas with the world (or as someone who is considering doing so), you already recognize the enormous value that informing and engaging your audience can have in establishing, reinforcing, and expanding the public’s perception of your expertise. If you already have a book available in the marketplace, you are likely looking for ways to reach new audiences, and deepen your connection with the people who already know you.

If you have ever thought about writing a book, it’s likely you’ve done at least a cursory exploration of how becoming a published author might pay off financially. What you’ve almost certainly discovered is that publishing a book is a business endeavor with options along the entire spectrum of investment and payoff.

Take every opportunity your audience gives you to share value as an opportunity to simultaneously reinforce your brand.

Much has been written on the important role a personal brand plays in shaping a thought leader’s impact, both on his or her business and on their wider audience as a whole. A strong personal brand connects a face to the company, which is critical when it comes to helping people relate to (and remember) the brand itself.

A highly effective way to reach and engage with your audience is through speaking. If you’re passionate and knowledgeable about your subject matter, what better way to share and add value than in person? Once you decide to pursue speaking as a way to grow your platform and share your big ideas, where do you start, and what’s next?

In order to effectively build your brand, you need to know your starting point, the current status of your brand. A brand audit is a tool that companies use to analyze their brand and marketing effectiveness, to identify forward-looking brand goals, to expose gaps between how the company sees its brand and how consumers see it, and to get everyone on the same proverbial page regarding messaging.

Where do you begin a task as daunting as becoming a veritable expert like Gary Vaynerchuk? A strong platform starts with your ideas. Your ideas are your foundation; they’re what you offer your audience, and they’re what will make you money.